Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dangerous Structures topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pratt sets public hearings for three dangerous structures after staff memorandum
Summary
City attorney presented state-required procedures and the commission set public hearings for Jan. 20, 2026, on three properties at 412 S. Main, 712 N. Pine and 117 N. High; staff and commissioners discussed publication timing and budget implications for potential demolitions.
The City of Pratt on Nov. 3 approved resolutions setting public hearings for three properties the city has identified as potentially dangerous or unsafe, city attorney Cody Smith said.
Smith told commissioners he drafted a memorandum explaining the statutory dangerous-structure procedure included in the packet and recommended setting hearings so owners and interested parties receive formal notice. The properties listed in the resolutions are 412 South Main (Res. 110325‑C), 712 North Pine (Res. 110325‑D) and 117 North High (Res. 110325‑E). Smith said the law requires two weeks of publication followed by a 30‑day waiting period before holding the hearing and that hearings are set to be held on Jan. 20, 2026.
Robert Walker, the city inspector, provided the factual work that led to the resolutions and told the commission that notices have been prepared and title searches done to ensure interested parties are identified. "The evidence will be presented by Mr. Walker at the hearing," Smith said, describing the hearings as the forum for due process where owners may present any evidence they have.
Commissioners and staff discussed timing and budget issues. Some members asked whether demolition costs could be encumbered from the 2025 budget if the work were to occur this year; attorney Smith and finance and public‑works staff said demolition would most likely occur next year and that obligations typically require an encumbrance or contract to obligate funds. Smith suggested that a special meeting or workshop could be used to accelerate the timeline if needed, but that the normal publication timetable and statutory requirements made Jan. 20 the safer date.
The commission voted to approve the three resolutions setting the public hearings and directed staff to post the required notices and proceed with publication and service of process. City staff said the hearings may be continued if owners present evidence of remediation before the scheduled date.
